What's On TV

Listings are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times Eastern, check local listings.

August 25, 2000

By M.S. Mason

SUNDAY 8/27

The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries (BBC America, in four parts, Sundays, 8-9 p.m.): The elegant sleuth, played by Diana Rigg, uncovers the deadly secrets of a small English village when a carny is murdered. Jolly good upper-crust fun.

Great Performances: La Traviata from Paris (PBS, 9-11 p.m., check local listings): Giuseppe Verdi's classic tale of self-sacrificing love is shot on location in Paris - and it's gorgeous to look at and delightful to hear. Zubin Mehta conducts, but it's the lovely Russian soprano Eteri Gvazava (as fine an actress as she is a singer) and the Argentine tenor Jose Cura who make the music come alive.

All in the Family: E! True Hollywood Story (E! 9-11 p.m.): The most popular sitcom of the 1970s shook up American complacency about race, gender, and religious biases - and it did it all with humor and decency. Great for TV-history buffs and those who love the show (still available in reruns on Nickelodeon).

Yeltsin (PBS, 9-10:30 p.m., check local listings): This riveting documentary takes us inside Russia to tell the story of one of the most important political leaders of the late-20th century.

Custody of the Heart (Lifetime, 9-11 p.m.): Lorraine Bracco ('The Sopranos") stars as a beleaguered businesswoman whose success has driven a wedge between her and her husband. Angry at his own failure, he abruptly sues for divorce. Finding her way to his reasonable side takes wisdom as well as persistence. Issue-driven and involving.

Ultimate Guide: Extreme Weather (Discovery Channel, 9-10 p.m.): Thunderstorms, monsoons, flash floods, tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, and hurricanes - where do they come from and what can be done to mitigate their destructive force? This fascinating documentary takes us right into the eye of these storms and describes scientists' weapons - mainly warning devices.

TUESDAY 8/29

P.O.V. American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land (PBS, 10-11 p.m.): Filmmaker Jasmine Dellal had trouble finding anyone in the Romani culture (a million strong in the US) to talk to her about Romani heritage. Tribal law is fierce - and the Rom, mistakenly called "Gypsies," have kept that culture intact by keeping to themselves. This fine documentary repeats through the month.

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society

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